The invention relates to a device for controlling operating means for at least one electric illuminating means, and to a method for controlling operating means for at least one electric illuminating means. The term electric illuminating means denotes both electric lamps such as, for example, incandescent lamps or discharge lamps, and light-emitting diodes.
The Laid-Open Specification EP 0 639 938 A1 describes a control device for consumers combined in groups. These consumers are, in particular, operating devices for electric lamps that have a device in accordance with the preamble of patent claim 1, and operating means for at least one electric lamp. These operating devices have a control signal input via which control signals can be applied to them by means of the control device in order to implement different illuminating scenarios. Digital control signals are required to control the operating devices.
It is the object of the invention to provide a device for controlling operating means for at least one electric illuminating means and which can optionally be driven via the same control signal input with the aid of digital or analog control signals, and to specify a method for controlling the operating means for at least one electric illuminating means and which permits the operating means to be controlled optionally at the same control signal input with the aid of digital or analog control signals.
This object is achieved for a generic device according to the invention by means of the features of patent claim 1, and for the method according to the invention by means of patent claim 7. Particularly advantageous features of the invention are described in the subclaims.
The device according to the invention has evaluating means that are suitable for automatically detecting both analog and digital control signals at the control signal input of the device, and for evaluating them for the purpose of controlling the operating means for the illuminating means. The device according to the invention can therefore be used both in lighting systems that are fitted with central control devices for generating analog control signals, and in lighting systems that are provided with central control devices for generating digital control signals. Moreover, the user need not think about the correct connection of the device according to the invention to the control device, since the same control signal input of the device according to the invention is used for the analog and for the digital control of the operating means by the control device. Furthermore, the user can also optionally decide on the use of an analog or digital control device in the lighting system subsequently, that is to say after the device according to the invention and the operating means have been installed in the lighting system. The evaluating means advantageously include a program-controlled microcontroller or a logic circuit. The device according to the invention is advantageously a component of an operating device for electric illuminating means that has operating means for at least one illuminating means. However, it is also possible to arrange the device according to the invention outside an operating device for electric illuminating means, and to provide signal transmitting means, for example cables, between the device according to the invention and the operating means, arranged inside the operating device, for the at least one electric illuminating means.
The method according to the invention for controlling operating means for at least one electric illuminating means with the aid of control signals, generated by an external control device, and of a device that has a control signal input for receiving the control signals and also evaluating means for evaluating the control signals and for controlling the operating means comprises the following method steps:
applying a control signal to the control signal input and transmitting the control signal to the evaluating means,
automatically testing the control signal with the aid of the evaluating means as to whether the control signal forms a valid digital control signal or a valid analog control signal or an invalid signal, and
evaluating the control signal and appropriately controlling the operating means with the aid of the evaluating means if a valid digital or analog control signal is present.
The method according to the invention permits optional control of the operating means of the illuminating means of an lighting system by means of analog or digital control signals that are generated by a central control device of the lighting system in order to control the lighting functions. Moreover, independently of whether they are analog or digital, the control signals can be fed to the same control signal input of each device according to the invention or each operating device that contains the device according to the invention. The devices or operating devices therefore do not require separate control signal inputs for analog and digital signals. In the case of an analog drive of the devices or operating devices, use is advantageously made as analog control signal of a periodic AC voltage whose peak value exceeds a prescribable threshold value representing the minimum permissible high level for digital control signals, and which assumes at least once per period a value below a prescribable second threshold value that represents the maximum permissible low level for digital control signals. It is even possible in the case of such analog control signals to use a single pushbutton for controlling the devices according to the invention or operating devices of the lighting system. The method according to the invention further permits additional control of the devices or operating devices at the same control signal input by means of a constant light regulation device.